Evolutionary Ecology

The Trinidadian Guppy

Anne E. Magurran

Description

This book celebrates the guppy's unique contribution to evolutionary ecology. Ever since Caryl Haskins described guppy populations as a 'natural experiment' because of the way predation pressure varies over a small geographical area, generations of researchers have been drawn to Trinidad to investigate evolution in the wild. The species continues to provide classic examples of natural selection in action and elegantly illustrates how ecology, evolution, and behaviour are interlinked.

Anne Magurran's account of the evolutionary ecology of the guppy integrates historical breakthroughs with new research in this fast-moving field. She reveals how guppies provided some of the first evidence of sperm competition and sexual selection, and how they continue to inform scientific thought on mating systems and cryptic choice. The consequences of variation in predation risk—as well as a host of other biotic and abiotic factors—are described and evaluated at all life stages from conception to death. The book discusses behavioural responses to ecological conditions alongside life history patterns. It examines the potential for ecological speciation and discusses new research into how reproductive isolating mechanisms become established in promiscuous mating systems. Conservation issues are also considered, both in terms of protecting the irreplaceable Trinidadian guppy system and in the context of invasion ecology.

This timely synthesis of research into a species that has raised key questions in evolutionary ecology will be of great interest to graduate level students as well as professional researchers in the fields of behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology.

Author Information

Evolutionary Ecology

The Trinidadian Guppy

Anne E. Magurran

Reviews and Awards

"This book serves well as a benchmark in the ascent of guppies as a model organism by providing a concise well written summary of this variation among populations, plus other key research on this species." - Trends in Ecology and Evolution,

"I was very pleased to discover that most of the book was not only engaging, but also provided authoritative reviews of relevant topics that were generalized beyond the study system." - Susan Foster, The Quarterly Review of Biology

"This book is a very good read and an excellent overview for undergraduates and beginning graduate students considering research on this or similar adaptive radiations." - Susan Foster, The Quarterly Review of Biology